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Question
#42255. mochyn
asks:
In the movie 'The King and I' starring Yul Brynner, what was the king's name and what was his name in real life, and why is the film banned in Thailand?
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lothruin
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In the movie: King Mongkut of Siam.
In real life: Also King Mongkut, from what I can tell.
The movie was banned in Thailand because of historical distortions. The real King Mongkut was extremely well-educated and deeply religious. In the movie, he appears to be at least a bit ignorant and arrogant.
Dec 12 03, 4:00 PM
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lothruin
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For a different real-life name, perhaps you are looking for Rama IV? He appears to have been known as King Mongkut as well.
Dec 12 03, 4:01 PM
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Baloo55th
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It's banned because it's insulting to the Thai monarchy by portraying the king as more or less a barbarian who had to be civilised by Anna. The Thai (or at the time Siamese) nation was quite civilised at the time and the story is basically a load of cobblers.
Dec 12 03, 4:10 PM
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griffinj
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King Rama IV, or Chom Kloa, is known as Mongkut, and the last is the name used in the movie, but it is an accepted name for the monarch.
"In Thailand (previously called Siam) the Royal family is held in very high esteem. The King and I is banned in Thailand due historical inaccuracy and perceived disrespect of the monarchy. The real Prince Chulalongkorn (or Chula Chom Klao) grew up to be an especially good king and led the way for modernization, improved relations with the west, and instituted many important cultural and social reforms in Thailand." (IMDb)
Anna Leonowen's book does fall somewhere between very badly slanted history and outright fiction. The portrayal of King Mongkut is absolutely at odds with historical fact. “An ascetic who spent most of his life as chief abbot of a Buddhist monastery, King Mongkut knew more of Western civilization and languages than any Oriental monarch of his day… He is alleged to have said 'What you {Christians}teach us to do is admirable, what you teach us to believe is foolish.’” “Kingdoms of Asia, Middle East, and Africa”, ed. Gene Gurney (New York 1986)
Dec 12 03, 4:11 PM
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